Philippians 3:1-7 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3-7 For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- peritome = circumcision peritome vs. katatome Those who do not cut around, but who cut up i.e. mutilators Recalls Galatians 5:12, where Paul wishes that the katatome would just keep cutting themselves. C A S T R A T I O N For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- What does it mean that we... are the circumcision... Is this saying that we have a share in the circumcision (that is, the covenant between God and Israel)? Or is it an absolute claim as in, we are the only circumcision... Who does we include? For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- Is this Paul s effort to legitimize the Gentile Christians? Ritual Worship vs. Spiritual Worship The circumcision (the identifying core mark) of Christians is not confidence in the flesh (the performance of the ritual of circumcision) but in Jesus Christ. For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh-- OK, we get it now... But why would this section be included in a letter to the Philippians, whose population contained very few Jews? Is there a more significant Jewish population that previously thought? Have James and/or Peter and/or other Judaizers had an effect on the Philippians? Is this an addition to the original letter? 1
3.4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: Why does Paul say he has reason for confidence in the flesh? What is he setting up in 4b? Amazing credentials as a Jew 3.5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; What are Paul s Jewish credentials? Properly circumcised according to the ritual. Able to trace his heritage back to Benjamin. His parents were both Hebrews. He was a zealous follower of the law. What else? 3.6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Kata, kata, kata... With the end of verse 5, we have an interesting kata, kata, kata You know... kata the law, a pharisee kata zeal, a persecutor of the church kata righteousness under the law, BLAMELESS! Did Paul just say he was BLAMELESS under the law? D oh! 2
amemptos = blameless, faultless It is the same word used in 2:15 2:14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 2:15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. As to righteousness under the law, blameless. Is it possible to be blameless under the law? Paul would say Yes. It was possible for a Jew to be blameless under the law, so long as there was strict observance and rituals were done completely and in the right time. Paul says that he qualified. 3:7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. PROFIT VS. LOSS Why this kind of language? Living on the Via Ignatia, the Philippians were people of commerce. They would have understood very well the concepts of profit and loss. PROFIT VS. LOSS Why this kind of language? Some suggest that this concept of profit and loss is a rabbinic one, as in the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 16.26 and Mark 8.36 Matt 16:26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Mark 8:36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Paul has listed items that, for a Jew, would be huge list in the profit margin one that is larger than any other Jew s. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 3
PROFIT LOSS PROFIT LOSS Circumcised on the eighth day Of the tribe of Benjamin A Hebrew born of Hebrews According to the law, a Pharisee According to zeal, a persecutor of the church According to righteousness under the law, blameless. Circumcised on the eighth day Of the tribe of Benjamin A Hebrew born of Hebrews According to the law, a Pharisee According to zeal, a persecutor of the church According to righteousness under the law, blameless. One last word about Profit and Loss: And that word is ezemiothen. I have suffered loss OR I have been fined Paul s encounter with Christ cost him a heavy fine, in that what he had previously counted as gain, was now loss. Says Karl Barth in his Commentary on Philippians:... The heights on which Paul stood were abysmal A BRIEF WORD STUDY OF PHILLIPIANS 3.8 WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? THOMAS SKUBALA ALOIS SKUBALA S K U B A L A WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 4
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REMEMBER... SKUBALA GINETAI 6